The Program Executive Office Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA) announced on April 18, 2013 the selection of the NSCM EDS for onsite destruction of a number of problematic chemical munitions that cannot be easily processed through PCAAP. These included munitions that have leaked in the past and are now in overpacked condition, as well as rejects from PCAPP, whose deteriorated physical condition does not easily allow for the plant's automated processing.

In support of this EDS operation, the Government intends to award a sole source, single award indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for acquiring the continuation of the ongoing contractor-provided EDS operational support for the destruction of the problematic chemical munitions at PCD. The corresponding umbrella statement of work (SOW) for the EDS deployment at PCD will require the contractor to perform preparation of site specific EDS operational plans/procedures (i.e. destruction plan, site safety submission package, standard operating procedures), development and conduction of site specific EDS operational training (i.e. explosive operator training course, chemical operator training course), development and/or modification of site specific environmental permits (i.e. Clean Air Act (CAA) permit, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit, Pueblo County Certificate of Designation), and furnishing of on-site support of the EDS operations (i.e. data collection, preoperational survey). Currently, the projected ordering period of the IDIQ will be five (5) years; the period of performance for the initial task order 0001 is anticipated to be two (2) years with subsequent task orders issued under the ordering period up to the projected completion date of the EDS deployment at PCD. This planned follow-on contract action will be a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract type and will be funded primarily with Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation funding.

As described in FAR 6.302 1(a)(2)(iii), the above unique and/or highly specialized services being planned are available only from the original source; this planned follow-on contract action will be to the current EDS operational support contractor, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), McLean VA. The Government has determined that procurement by other than full and open competition is necessary because procurement from any other source than SAIC would result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition and/or would potentially cause unacceptable delays in fulfilling the EDS deployment to PCD. This planned follow-on contract will allow NSCM to retain these unique and/or highly specialized services in supporting of its EDS operational support requirements for its project to augment at PCAPP. This planned follow-on contract has to be in place no later than fourth quarter, Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 to provide the continuation of the NSCM EDS operational support without a break of these services and to meet the projected EDS deployment to PCD third/fourth quarter, FY2014.

Over the last nearly twenty (20) years and as the only EDS operations support performer under its applicable multiple Program and Integration Support (PAIS) contracts/task order(s), SAIC successfully provided the EDS operational support, as discussed above. This included EDS acquisition and operations support, the EDS operational support at the NSCM Pine Bluff EDS (PBEDS) project, the EDS operational support at the NSCM EDS Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) project, and the EDS operational support at initial EDS PCAPP planning activities/efforts. For EDS acquisition and operations supports (1994-present), PBEDS (2003-2009), and RMA (2000-2001) projects, SAIC acquired unique and highly specialized institutional knowledge and expertise, as it applied to planned EDS operations. This SAIC institutional knowledge and expertise has a direct parallel and applicability to the very similar requirements that are planned for the EDS deployment at PCD. In addition, the initial PCAPP planning activities/efforts (2010-2011) performed by SAIC developed EDS operational plans and permit modifications for the EDS deployment to PCD. These includes draft versions of the applicable RCRA permit, the Pueblo Title V modification to the Pueblo CAA permit, Pueblo County Certificate of Designation, Pueblo EDS site integration plan, the Pueblo EDS chemical site plan, and the Pueblo EDS chemical safety submission. SAIC acquired unique and highly specialized institutional knowledge and expertise in performing these efforts, which relate directly to the further support needed for the upcoming execution of the EDS deployment at PCD. No other contractor currently has this unique and highly specialized institutional knowledge and expertise in EDS operational support to meet the projected PCD deployment schedule. This planned follow-on contract action will extend, leverage, and build upon SAIC's prior efforts under its multiple PAIS contracts/task orders, especially on the critical paths associated with development of site specific EDS plans/procedures, training, and environmental permitting for its PCD project. Accordingly, this planned follow-on contract action to SAIC represents the logical continuation of previous expended activities/efforts, lessons learned, and costs to ensure that the unique and/or highly specialized services required by the corresponding SOW are available from SAIC in a timely and efficient manner without causing significant delays and cost impacts to the NSCM EDS deployment to PCD or resulting in substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition.

The purpose of this special notice is to conduct a market survey of interested parties that may have capabilities and past experiences to respond to and comply with the overall above NSCM EDS operational support requirements or submit proposals if a future competitive NSCM EDS operations support request for proposal is issued. Please submit your interest in response to this sources sought notice, and a description of your capabilities and past experiences to perform the above NSCM EDS operations support requirements. This description and past experiences should discuss EDS operational plans/procedures development, EDS permit development/modification, EDS training development and conduction, and EDS on-site operation assistance support, as it applies to the EDS deployment at PCD. In addition, your description should provide the company name(s) of your prospective contractor team arrangement. Your response shall be emailed to Mr. Kevan Woodin at address: kevan.m.woodin.civ@mail.mil. Phone number is 309-782-3961. As such, the email submission should be as a Word file attachment, Times New Roman (12 pitch), of no more than five (5) pages (11x8.5). Responses are requested no later than 30 May 2013.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals; however, all information received within thirty days after the date of publication of this sources sought notice will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the planning purpose of determining whether to conduct a follow-on NSCM EDS operational support competitive acquisition.